


Vulnerable

by 99runecrafting



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Romance, some angst???
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-21
Updated: 2017-08-21
Packaged: 2018-12-18 03:53:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11866143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/99runecrafting/pseuds/99runecrafting
Summary: Gabe tries to get Clementine to make a promise she can't keep.





	Vulnerable

Clementine kicks open the door, pistol raised and quickly scanning the small space for walkers before calling over her shoulder, “It’s clear!”

Gabe stumbles in, and Clementine moves to catch him before he can collapse to the floor. She shuts the door, shaking a bit of snow off her boots before setting Gabe on the floor against the wall.

The wooden shack creaks with the force of the wind outside, but otherwise it seems steady. Despite not having stepped inside this particular shack before, it feels eerily familiar to Clementine. She shakes off thoughts of stitches and peroxide before turning her attention to Gabe instead.

The blood has already soaked through the parka, staining his left shoulder and the surrounding area. Clementine grimaces.

“You okay?” She asks.

“I’ll manage,” Gabe replies. He winces as he adjusts himself to a more comfortable sitting position.

“Let me check your shoulder.” Clementine crouches beside him. “Do you think you can take off your coat for me?”

Gabe unzips his parka with his uninjured arm and attempts to shrug it off when he hisses in pain. “I don’t think I can.”

“I’ll help.” Clementine peels back his parka slowly, watching his face for signs of pain. Then she unzips his hoodie and lifts the collar of his shirt to study the wound. “Doesn’t seem too bad. A lot of blood, though.” Clementine frowns. “If I had a needle and some thread right now…”

“Don’t worry about it.” Gabe offers her a pained and uneasy smile. Despite how worried she is, Clementine can’t help smile back. She helps him put his parka back on with as much caution as she can muster.

“Wound infection is a very real thing, you know.” Clementine moves to sit beside him on his uninjured side. She leans back against the wooden wall and brings her knees to her chest, shoulders touching with the boy next to her.

“I’m aware,” Gabe replies. “What a plot twist, huh?”

Clementine raises an eyebrow. “What are you talking about?”

“Remember when Javi got stabbed in the shoulder a while back? It was because of me. I mean, I wasn’t the one who stabbed him, but I might as well have.” Gabe lets out a sardonic chuckle. “Must be karma.”

Clementine frowns. “Gabe.” She looks him square in the eye. “Don’t say that.”

He returns her gaze for a solid moment before looking away. “Just pointing out coincidence, that’s all.” His teeth chatter. “God, it’s freezing in here, but hey. If I don’t bleed out, at least I’ll die of hypothermia. I hear it’s a pretty peaceful way to go.”

“What the fuck, Gabe.” She looks at him incredulously. The thought of losing him makes her chest twinge so painfully she can barely breathe.

“Sorry. Bad joke.”

“Gabe--”

“I’m sorry, Clem. I shouldn’t have said that.” Gabe sighs. “I’m just… trying not to freak out right now, so I’m dealing with this through really bad humour instead, I guess. But still. Bad joke. Sorry.”

“You’re not gonna die, you moron,” Clementine replies softly. “I won’t allow it.” She removes her coat.

“What the hell are you doing?” Gabe glares at her.

“Not letting you freeze to death?”

“So you’re gonna be the one to freeze to death?”

“Not exactly. Remove your coat.”

“So we’re _both_ gonna freeze to death, then. Glad you’re including me, too.” Gabe drawls sarcastically. “Hey, help me out?”

“Gotcha.” She helps Gabe out of his coat. It’s slick with blood but she doesn’t particularly care at the moment. Clementine scooches closer to him before draping her coat over them, and his parka on top as a second layer. “Sharing body heat. It’s how I kept AJ warm during the winter. I’d just tuck him under my jacket and zip up. Keeps away the hypothermia.”

It’s a very true and factual statement, but it’s maybe not the only reason. Despite the cold, Clementine feels a blush rise in her face at the contact of her arm against his. Which is dumb because it’s not like she’s never touched him before? Clementine has hugged Gabe and sat next to him plenty of times. So why does she react like this every single time? _This is so stupid,_ Clementine thinks to herself. And yet she doesn’t shy away.

“Good thinking,” Gabe says. “You know, I’ve never seen it snow this bad before.” The snowstorm outside seems to blow even harder in response.

“At least it’ll keep that group of bastards away for a while,” Clementine responds, teeth gritting. “But we need to move once it gets better outside. They might be back. Can’t take any chances.”

A wave of silence washes over them. The loud whistling of the winds and the swaying of branches from nearby trees are the only sounds echoing through the shack. “Hey Clem?” Gabe calls out.

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry.”

“You already apologized.”

“Well, yeah. But I’m apologizing for a different thing, now.”

Clementine quirks up an eyebrow. “For what?”

“This is all my fault.” Gabe mumbles, scowling. “If I hadn’t offered to help them out, we wouldn’t be stuck in this mess.”

“It isn’t your fault, Gabe. It’s not.” Clementine reassures him. His frown only grows deeper. “Hey, look at me.” He meets her gaze with his own. His eyes are hesitant. Unsure. “They’re the ones who decided to be assholes and take advantage of you. This is on them. It’s not your fault.”

“Still.”

“Hey, honestly?” She nudges at his uninjured arm lightly. “I think it’s a good thing that you want to help,” Clementine admits.  
  
Gabe only raises an eyebrow at her in question. “I got us into trouble, Clem.” He says with uncertainty.

“Listen,” Clementine begins, “when the New Frontier kicked me out, when I thought AJ died…” She shrugs. “I figured: _fuck the world._ I had nothing else left to lose. Figured I didn’t owe shit to anyone now, you know? That’s how I’ve been able to survive, but… I really lost myself along the way.”

“What do you mean?”

“This for that. Me or them. Screw them over because they could screw me.” Clementine explains. “But it didn’t always have to be like that. Your uncle stuck his neck out for me -- saved me -- more times than I can count. Even when it really screwed him over.” She shakes her head, smiling to herself. “In a weird way, it’s reminded me of everyone who’s ever helped me all these years. People who have helped me and expected nothing back. People who helped because it was the right thing to do. Sometimes you don’t survive doing the right thing, but it’s what makes us, _us_.”

Gabe smiles at her. “Thanks, Clem.”

She only nods at him before looking away, feeling her stomach start to flutter. _Not again…_

“I still feel like a jackass, though,” Gabe continues.

“Thought you’ve gotten used to the feeling?” Clementine remarks.

“Wow.” Gabe rolls his eyes playfully. “Too soon.”

Clementine chuckles. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” Gabe nudges her with his free arm. “But seriously: how can you tell when someone’s trying to screw you over, versus someone who’s legit?”

Clementine hums, thinking for a moment, before answering: “When their actions don’t match their words. Like, they’ll say one thing but then they do the other. They’re unreliable at best, but dishonest at worst. Either way, you can’t trust them. But there are people who are awfully good at lying, so even I’m not one hundred percent sure all the time.”

Gabe nods. “Javi told me something like that once. He said that sometimes people will try to confuse you with their words, but you can tell what kind of person they really are through their actions.”

“That’s one way to put it.” Clementine says. “When did he say that to you, by the way?”

“We were getting some weapons from the armory, back when Joan was still in power,” Gabe replies. “Right before we found you at the hospital, actually.”

“Huh. No way.”

“Yeah,” Gabe says. “You know, Javi’s taken care of me and had my back even when I didn’t deserve it. God knows I made life hard for everyone sometimes.” Gabe sighs regretfully. “I wish I thanked him more.”

“You can thank him when we get back,” Clementine suggests.

“What if they find us?” Gabe asks, his eyebrows furrowed in worry.

“They won’t, Gabe.” Clementine promises. “We’re gonna make it out of here.”

“But worst case scenario,” Gabe begins, “if they find us and I slow you down, just leave me, okay?”

“What the hell--”

“I’m serious, Clem.” Gabe turns his head to looks her dead in the eye. “I’m just going to slow you down--”

“Gabe, no.” Clementine interrupts, meeting his eyes with a defiant stare of her own. “I’m _not_ leaving you behind.”

“You just got AJ back, Clem.” Gabe replies softly. “Go home. Give him the childhood we never got.”

“Gabe--”

“You know I’m right.”

Deep down, Clementine knows that a long time ago she wouldn’t have hesitated. A long time ago, she would’ve agreed that leaving him behind was the right thing to do. But at this very moment, deep down she knows that Gabe couldn’t be even more wrong than he is right now.

“I’m not leaving you,” Clementine bites back, glaring at him. _Why can’t he see?_ “Goddammit, Gabe.” She quickly wipes the tears starting to roll down her face, eyes watering in both sadness and frustration.

“Clem--"

“I can’t lose another person who’s important to me, okay?” Clementine inhales a deep breath. “I just can’t. I can’t…” She trails off, bowing her head, too proud to reveal the distress on her face and the redness of her eyes. But Clementine surrenders the rest of her pride, nonetheless, when she murmurs with quiet vulnerability, “I can’t lose you too.” She shuts her eyes, trying to will away the tears.

She feels Gabe press his forehead against hers. “Okay.” He mumbles. Clementine can feel his breath on her cheek. “We’ll get out. Both of us. I trust you.”

She’s not sure which of them is the first to close the gap but suddenly their lips are pressing and they’re kissing. It’s short and sweet, because they both rear back in surprise after a moment, breathless and blushing furiously. Despite how embarrassed Clementine feels right now, a smile plays on her lips.

“Um,” Gabe sputters out. “So. Uh. Yeah.”

“Yeah,” Clementine replies awkwardly. She quietly takes comfort in the fact that Gabe is probably more red than she is right now. _He’s cute when he’s nervous._ “I think the storm’s settled. Can’t hear the wind anymore.” Though she’s not sure if it’s because her heart is beating so fast or if the wind has actually died down. “We should head back.”

“That’s a good idea. Heading back. We, uh, we should do that.” Gabe tries to get up, and ends up leaning on his injured arm. “Ow. _Fuck_.” He curses under his breath. “Shit. I forgot about that.”

“You forgot that you were stabbed in the shoulder?” Clementine asks, bemused. She stands up before pulling Gabe onto his feet by his uninjured arm. She helps him into his parka before shrugging her coat back on.

“Pretty sure my brain just short-circuited,” Gabe replies. “We just…” He trails off, his face growing even more red. Clementine feels her smile grow wider, and the heat in her face grow deeper. “You know…” Gabe scratches the back of his neck. “Kissed.”

He lets out a nervous laugh. She lets out a nervous laugh. Soon, both of them dissolve into a fit of quiet giggles. “Yeah, we did,” Clementine finally replies.

“Think I can get another one?” Gabe murmurs, smiling and turning his head away.

“Of course, you dork.” Clementine replies softly. “But I can’t kiss you if you’re turned away like that.”

Gabe rolls his eyes before facing her again. They both lean in, and the kiss is a little bit longer this time -- slower, softer, and somehow just as sweet.

They pull back, grinning shyly.

“Let’s go,” Clementine says before opening the door, and the two of them step outside.


End file.
